Whispering, giggles, singing and tears just about sums up our Christmas, writes Jo Malone.

Our Christmas Day began with Rob and I trying to pretend to be asleep as we heard the girls loudly whispering about how to wake us up.

Thalia clearly favoured the run and jump on us method, Keola wanted to shout and ring bells and Sunny, luckily, was trying to steer them towards something a little calmer.

They settled on singing and their giggling 'Jingle Bells', with all the verses they know, was our wake-up call.

Father Christmas had filled their stockings with all sorts of little treats, and that led to the first tearful outbursts from Thalia. Keola's favourite toy, Zed, had a couple of chocolate coins in the stocking she'd laid out for him and Thalia was upset that none of her toys had a stocking.

But as she didn't know which of her toys should have a stocking – she doesn't have a favourite toy – and didn't put a stocking out for any of them, those tears were soon distracted by trying to persuade her plastic racing frogs to race rather than just somersault.

There were more tears when a couple of frogs lost limbs as racing continued - my suggestion of a Paralympics wasn't appreciated - and Daddy accidently standing on one was not at all popular, but they were definitely the favourite present from Father Christmas.

Realising, again, how easily pleased my girls are brought a lump to my throat, as did not being able to get through to any of my family – my new phone isn't straightforward and messages I thought had sent kept bouncing back.

But queen of Christmas tears this year went to number one daughter Sunny, who cried every time she opened a present from someone who wasn't here. As we had Christmas with just the five of us, that meant a lot of tears.

There were tears for a thoughtful message from one grandmother, for a furry hat which feels like her much loved cat Jet from her other grandmother, tears for her godmother, tears for her dad, tears for me mentioning her cousins and then Keola and Thalia cried because Sunny's crying.

I've started next year's Christmas list. It has tissues at the top.